Welcome to Melbourne

Melbourne General Tourist Info

Melbourne is the capital of Victoria State, the second largest city in Australia, and a great cultural center. For a start, Melbourne is a city of huge diversity of nationalities – lots of Greeks, but also Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Lebanese immigrants have all left their mark. Almost thirty per cent of city’s residents were born overseas or have parents who were born overseas.
The metropolis, which has a population of over 3 million, has a reputation of being at the top of the pack when it comes to shopping, fashion, exciting nightlife, restaurants, music, and culture. It often wins the competition with other state-capitals in the bids for major international concerts and cultural events, plays, famous exhibitions, and sporting events, for example Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The city also carouse in a healthy rivalry with its northern neighbor, Sydney, but it’s interesting to note that almost all Melbourne citizens adore their city - usually described as the "most livable" in the world, while Sydney’s residents are mostly half-hearted in their praise for their home.

Melbourne’s roots go back to the 1850s, when gold was found in the adjacent hills, encircling the metropolis. Melbourne grew wealthy and remained a conservative bastion until World War Two, when a new immigration wave (mostly from southern Europe), made it a more relaxed and better place to live. There are countless attractions in and around the city, but some of the most popular include: Federation Square, Gold Treasury Museum, IMAX Theatre, Melbourne Aquarium, Melbourne Museum, Melbourne Observation Desk, Melbourne Zoo, National Gallery of Victoria & the Ian Potter Centre-Australian Art, Old Melbourne Gaol, Queen Victoria Market, Rippon Lea House Museum & Historic Garden, St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, State Houses of Parliament, Melbourne International Film Festival and many other.

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